It said 35 AK47 rifles, 21 Dane guns, 500 live ammunition and other weapons, including a rocket launcher, were recovered from the suspects.

Parading the suspects at Katari village on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, Force spokesman DCP Frank Mba said the suspects were arrested in the last two weeks in joint operations in Kaduna, Niger and Katsina states.

He said 35 AK47 rifles, 21 Dane guns and more than 500 live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

Mba attributed the success to Operation Puff Adderlaunched to dislodge criminals from the Kaduna-Abuja expressway and the country at large.

Mba, who was flanked by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Aji Ali Janga, said the joint operations comprised policemen from operations, intelligence, technical, counter-terrorism and special protection units, among others.

He said the operation was designed to tackle kidnaping, robbery and banditry, adding that the success recorded so far was huge.

Mba said: “The suspects were arrested from Matari forest, Niger axis and some were pursued to as far as Katsina.

“We are determined to descend very hard on criminals. We recovered 37 AK 47 rifles, 12 locally made guns, a revolver pistol, 60,000 fake US dollars, military uniforms and a foreign made pistol.

“A few days ago, the IG rolled out a new counter kidnaping strategy. It will help us curtail crimes.”

The Force spokesman said the Office of the Inspector General of Police provided supervisory and supportive roles to the operations.

Janga assured farmers at Birnin Gwari and other volatile areas that “it is now safe for them to return to their farms.”

He said the new operations being conducted in synergy with the commanders of various units had achieved success.

“Farmers who farm along Kaduna-Abuja expressway, Birnin Gwari and other volatile areas can go back to their farms. They are now safe,” Janga said.

One of the suspects arrested, Isah, said it was his first time of committing the crime and that he had not collected ransom before he was arrested.

Another suspect, Salisu Abubakar, who claimed to be a cleric, said he was aware that his clients belonged to criminal gangs, but that he only supported them with good luck charms. “I have never participated in crimes,” he added. (The Nation)